EP0602892A2 - Soupape électrique d'un redresseur à semi-conducteurs - Google Patents

Soupape électrique d'un redresseur à semi-conducteurs Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0602892A2
EP0602892A2 EP93309891A EP93309891A EP0602892A2 EP 0602892 A2 EP0602892 A2 EP 0602892A2 EP 93309891 A EP93309891 A EP 93309891A EP 93309891 A EP93309891 A EP 93309891A EP 0602892 A2 EP0602892 A2 EP 0602892A2
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
semiconductor
semiconductor devices
tail
turn
variation
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP93309891A
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0602892A3 (fr
EP0602892B1 (fr
Inventor
Nagataka C/O Intellectual Property Division Seki
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Toshiba Corp
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Toshiba Corp
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Publication date
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Publication of EP0602892A2 publication Critical patent/EP0602892A2/fr
Publication of EP0602892A3 publication Critical patent/EP0602892A3/fr
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Publication of EP0602892B1 publication Critical patent/EP0602892B1/fr
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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02M—APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF
    • H02M1/00—Details of apparatus for conversion
    • H02M1/08—Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
    • H02M1/088—Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02M—APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF
    • H02M3/00—Conversion of dc power input into dc power output
    • H02M3/02—Conversion of dc power input into dc power output without intermediate conversion into ac
    • H02M3/04—Conversion of dc power input into dc power output without intermediate conversion into ac by static converters
    • H02M3/10—Conversion of dc power input into dc power output without intermediate conversion into ac by static converters using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
    • H02M3/125—Conversion of dc power input into dc power output without intermediate conversion into ac by static converters using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode using devices of a thyratron or thyristor type requiring extinguishing means
    • H02M3/135—Conversion of dc power input into dc power output without intermediate conversion into ac by static converters using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode using devices of a thyratron or thyristor type requiring extinguishing means using semiconductor devices only
    • H02M3/137—Conversion of dc power input into dc power output without intermediate conversion into ac by static converters using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode using devices of a thyratron or thyristor type requiring extinguishing means using semiconductor devices only with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
    • H02M3/142—Conversion of dc power input into dc power output without intermediate conversion into ac by static converters using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode using devices of a thyratron or thyristor type requiring extinguishing means using semiconductor devices only with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
    • H03K17/08—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage
    • H03K17/081—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit
    • H03K17/0814—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit by measures taken in the output circuit
    • H03K17/08144—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit by measures taken in the output circuit in thyristor switches
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
    • H03K17/10—Modifications for increasing the maximum permissible switched voltage
    • H03K17/105—Modifications for increasing the maximum permissible switched voltage in thyristor switches

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a semiconductor valve in which high-speed, high-voltage switching valve devices (hereinbelow called “semiconductor devices”) are connected in series.
  • the voltage rating of each thyristor is at most 6 kv.
  • a number of thyristors on the order of several tens to one hundred are connected in series. In this case, there is a risk of failure due to overvoltage unless a large number of thyristors execute identical operation. Generally, therefore, the thyristors are selectively employed.
  • Fig. 3 is a view given in explanation of the waveforms of the anode current I, the gate current Ig and the anode voltage V, on GTO turn-off. Taking the variation in the storage times of two GTOs as Ats, the cut-off current as I, and the variation in the electric charges as AQ1 when two GTOs are connected in series, these may be expressed approximately by the following equation.
  • AQ1 is equal to the variation in the electric charges of the snubber capacitors, so if the variation in the sharing voltages is subsequently taken to be AV, then, taking the capacitance of the snubber capacitor as C, we have:
  • a GTO consists of an integration of small GTO unit cells of a few hundred ⁇ in size.
  • the capacitance of the snubber capacitor can be further reduced by further fine-processing the GTO unit cells. This is set out for example in the Toshiba Review, Vol. 47, No. 1, page 29, Fig.7 (January 1992).
  • MCTs MOS controlled thyristor
  • SITHs static induction thyristor
  • Fine-processing applied to the new high-speed semiconductor devices will make the snubber capacitance small, and transistor type semiconductor devices exemplified by IGBTs may not necessarily require a snubber capacitor.
  • the current flowing in the tail time tl shown in Fig. 3 (this is called the tail current) will be predominant.
  • the tail current is produced by the discharge of the carriers stored in the n base; the thickness of the n base increases in proportion to the withstand voltage so stored carrier i.e. the tail current increases as the withstand voltage of the semiconductor device is increased.
  • the capacitance of the snubber capacitor decreases with fine-processing.
  • the turn-off time in the case of a GTO means the time until the junction between the p base and n emitter recovers and is represented in the drawing by tgq. Consequently, as regards the ratio of the charge Q1 of turn-off time tgq and charge Q2 of the tail time, this latter will be relatively increased by miniaturization. As a result, the selection of capacitor capacitance based on equation (1) will be inappropriate.
  • the problem is to suppress the variation in sharing voltages on series connection that is produced by increasing the speed of a semiconductor device.
  • one object of this invention is to provide a semiconductor valve in which the variation in the sharing voltages on turn-off of the semiconductor devices can be suppressed to a prescribed value without increasing the snubber capacitor capacitance.
  • a semiconductor valve including a plurality of series-connected semiconductors devices and a plurality of capacitors. Each of the capacitors is connected in parallel to one of the semiconductor devices, respectively.
  • Each of the semiconductor devices is a switching valve device having a pair of main electrodes and at least one control electrode. The semiconductor devices are such that a first variation in quantities with respect to tail charges on turn-off of the semiconductor devices is within a first prescribed value.
  • Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a semiconductor valve according to an embodiment of this invention.
  • 1 is a D.C. power source
  • 2 is a semiconductor valve
  • 3 is a load
  • 4 is a free-wheeling diode.
  • the internal layout of semiconductor valve 2 is constituted by two sets of series connected semiconductor devices and their associated components, distinguished by suffixes a and b.
  • 11 is a high-speed semiconductor device, abbreviated as HSSD in this specification, having a self-extinguishing function but the symbols are the same as for a GTO.
  • 12 is a diode connected in anti-parallel with the HSSD 11.
  • 13 is a snubber capacitor.
  • 14 is a snubber diode.
  • 15 is a snubber resistor.
  • the layout of the semiconductor valve shown in Fig. 1 is a circuit that is conventionally employed. However, in a circuit of this type, this specification, relates how to select a semiconductor device for suppressing variation in sharing voltages on turn-off a semiconductor device, without increasing snubber capacitor capacitance.
  • the currents 111 and Ic are also distinguished by suffixes a and b, and currents 111 a,111 b, Ica and Icb are shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
  • This current Ic charges snubber capacitor 13.
  • the voltage VAC between A and C shown in Fig. 1 is equal to the sum of the voltages of the two snubber capacitors 13a, 13b.
  • diode 4 conducts so that the circuit of load 3 and diode 4 is closed, allowing current IL to continue to flow.
  • Some of the current flowing through valve reactor 16 is branched to the circuit consisting of diode 17 and resistor 18, while the rest continues to charge up snubber capacitor 13.
  • VAC - V R.IL (where R is the resistance of resistor 18)
  • the factor that affects the sharing voltage of HSSD 11 is the ratio of the current flowing in HSSD 11 and the current flowing in snubber capacitor 13 from the time t1 up until the time t3.
  • t1 is the time when an OFF signal is applied to HSSD 11
  • t2 is the time when the turn-off time of HSSD 11 passes from the time tl
  • t3 is the time when the tail time of HSSD 11 passes from the time t2.
  • the capacitor voltage is expressed by Q/C, where Q is the charge and is the time-integrated value of the current flowing in the capacitor, and C is the capacitor capacitance.
  • the capacitance C of capacitors 13a and 13b is equal, the variation in the voltages arises from the variations in the magnitudes and times of the capacitor currents Ica and lcb. Since the current I flowing through the series connection is the same for both circuits of suffixes a and b, the cause of variation in the capacitor current Ica and Icb lies in the variation in the currents flowing through the interiors of the two HSSDs; these currents are determined by the charges in the interiors of the HSSDs. As explained earlier, thanks to fine-processing, the turn-off time of the HSSD (time between t1 and t2 in Fig. 2, tgq in Fig. 3) is short, so the degree of its variation in small.
  • the tail time is not shortened by the miniaturization, so this comes to give rise to the variation in the currents.
  • the snubber capacitance is assumed to be 0.2 ⁇ F
  • a snubber capacitor capacitance on the order of 1 ⁇ F must be chosen; this makes it impossible to raise the switching frequency.
  • the variations in the tail charges (this term is defined here for convenience as meaning the charge which is discharged as tail current during the tail time) is taken as the device selection criterion in series connection. For example, in the case described above, if the variation in the tail currents is taken as no more than 4 A, by a similar calculation the snubber capacitor capacitance is 0.2 ⁇ F and the variation AV is 500 V.
  • sharing voltage can easily be contained within an allowed value without increasing snubber capacitor capacitance by selecting the semiconductor devices such that the variation in tail charge on turn-off of the semiconductor devices is within a prescribed value, so high-speed ON/OFF control of the HSSD can be achieved.
  • a tail I current or a tail time may be used independently for selection criteria of series-connected semiconductor devices. It is also possible to take the ON voltage as a selection criterion. Specifically, the ON voltage is correlated with the number of carriers within the base region; the voltage drops as more carriers accumulate. Selection of devices for series connection can therefore be performed taking as criterion the ON voltage when a certain reference current, gate and temperature conditions are given (In the case of transistor operation this is called the saturation voltage. As used herein, the term "ON voltage" includes this.)
  • the number of semiconductor devices connected in series was 2
  • this number can have any value from 2 upwards.
  • a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the tail charge on turn-off of the semiconductor devices may be used.
  • the situation regarding presence or absence of anti-parallel- connected diode 12 and the type of snubber circuit is not restricted to that shown in Fig. 1.
  • the circuit to which the semiconductor valve is applied is not restricted to that of Fig. 1.
  • GTOs or IGBTs which have been further improved are to be included as HSSDs.
  • the variation in the sharing voltages on turn-off can be suppressed to a prescribed value without increasing the snubber capacitor capacitance by taking at least one of the quantity with respect to the tail charge including the tail charge, the tail current, the tail time and the ON voltage as selection criterion.
EP19930309891 1992-12-17 1993-12-08 Soupape électrique d'un redresseur à semi-conducteurs Expired - Lifetime EP0602892B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP4336898A JPH06189524A (ja) 1992-12-17 1992-12-17 半導体バルブ
JP336898/92 1992-12-17

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0602892A2 true EP0602892A2 (fr) 1994-06-22
EP0602892A3 EP0602892A3 (fr) 1996-03-13
EP0602892B1 EP0602892B1 (fr) 1998-06-10

Family

ID=18303666

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19930309891 Expired - Lifetime EP0602892B1 (fr) 1992-12-17 1993-12-08 Soupape électrique d'un redresseur à semi-conducteurs

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0602892B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH06189524A (fr)
CA (1) CA2107934C (fr)
DE (1) DE69319076T2 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2564513B1 (fr) * 2010-04-30 2017-07-12 Acco Commutateurs rf

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0141624A2 (fr) * 1983-11-02 1985-05-15 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Convertisseur de puissance
US4888676A (en) * 1987-12-07 1989-12-19 Bbc Brown Boveri Ag Damping circuit for turn-off valves
DD298719A5 (de) * 1989-08-04 1992-03-05 Institut Fuer Elektronenphysik,De Schaltungsanordnung zur ausschaltentlastung mit energierueckspeisung fuer abschaltbare leistungsschaltbauelemente

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0141624A2 (fr) * 1983-11-02 1985-05-15 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Convertisseur de puissance
US4888676A (en) * 1987-12-07 1989-12-19 Bbc Brown Boveri Ag Damping circuit for turn-off valves
DD298719A5 (de) * 1989-08-04 1992-03-05 Institut Fuer Elektronenphysik,De Schaltungsanordnung zur ausschaltentlastung mit energierueckspeisung fuer abschaltbare leistungsschaltbauelemente

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2564513B1 (fr) * 2010-04-30 2017-07-12 Acco Commutateurs rf

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0602892A3 (fr) 1996-03-13
DE69319076D1 (de) 1998-07-16
CA2107934A1 (fr) 1994-06-18
JPH06189524A (ja) 1994-07-08
EP0602892B1 (fr) 1998-06-10
DE69319076T2 (de) 1998-10-08
CA2107934C (fr) 2001-05-01

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